From Comparison to Confidence: Small Steps Toward Lasting ChangeSample

We live in a world addicted to novelty.

Every time we turn on our phones, something new captures our attention. This addiction to what's new makes it difficult for us to stick with essential habits and truths. Just like children who cry, "I'm bored!” We adults often abandon good practices simply because we're tired of the repetition.

Think about it—how often have you started a new habit with excitement, only to give up when it became routine? Maybe it was Bible reading, prayer, or another spiritual discipline. We often quit right before the practice started transforming us.

Our repeated pattern of distraction keeps us from taking the steps we want to take and experiencing the flourishing our souls long to discover.

Repeated words stick in our brains. Have you ever found yourself the song from a commercial or thinking about a brand slogan? "Just do it." "Have it your way." “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” These phrases stick in our minds not because they're particularly profound but because they're simple and consistently repeated.

I’ve learned the power of repetition in a surprising context. For years, I struggled with insecurity. Many of us think insecurity is just a teenage problem that we'll outgrow. But in my nearly two decades of ministry, I've discovered that it creeps up on us in every stage of life. I meet people aged 17 and 70 who are dealing with the same struggles of feeling inadequate or unworthy.

The secret to overcoming insecurity is repeating. Put another way, if you want to reap a harvest of a healthy identity, you need to repeat a process to overcome insecurity.

This process is essential. Because in five years, you will reap a harvest. Instead of apples or bananas, you’ll reap an identity and a personality. The question is: who will you be? If nothing changes, as author Levi Lusko has noted, the future you will be an exaggerated version of the present you. In some areas, that might be good news. But in others - especially regarding our insecurities - that could be devastating news.

The good news is that God has given us a powerful tool for transformation: repetition. When we consistently repeat truth and godly habits, they shape who we become. As Galatians 6:9 reminds us, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Tomorrow, we'll explore specific truths about God's character that we must repeat to overcome insecurity. But today, I want you to pause and reflect on the following three questions.

• What areas of your life would be concerning if they became more exaggerated over the next five years?
• Where have you given up on important habits because they became boring?
• What truth about God do you need to start repeating daily?

Don’t let your answers to those questions discourage you. We serve a God who always us a chance to begin again! I’ll see you tomorrow.